The Stream team: Happy Heisting in Path of Exile
Much has been distracting Massively OP's MJ from her life of virtual crime, but she's back at it now! Path of Exile will need to lock up those valuable even better than before because she's aiming to rob, rob, rob, the place blind. (She just needs to survive during the getaway!). Tune in live at […]
Betawatch: Fractured's fall alpha is underway
MMORPG sandbox Fractured pushed its way into its fall alpha this week, in spite of technical difficulties and a downtime outage on Wednesday that resulted in lost character progression for some players, but don't worry because everyone who's leaped in so far is being compensated with tokens to take the sting out. (Thanks for the […]
Steam introduces a new tool that lets game devs invite players to playtests via the platform
You're a game developer unicorn who values actually collecting player input via playtesting instead of selling early access. You also don't really like having to manage your own mailing list to mail out access keys. And you've got your eyes on launching via Steam. What do you do? You take advantage of the new Steam […]
Hytale reels back regular update posts in favor of 'a more significant set of reveals'
Continuing our sometimes Sisyphean task of keeping eyes on every developing MMO under creation, we're plucking Hytale from the lower decks of our Golden Yacht and dusting it off to reveal what's been happening. For those who don't remember, Hytale is something of a Minecraft-like sorta-sandbox that spun away from the popular Hypixel Minecraft server […]
Mobile MMO Warhammer Odyssey shows us a very familiar game world
Those Warhammer Online veterans who are missing their dearly departed MMORPG (the ones not playing on the Return of Reckoning rogue server, that is), have a new opportunity brewing that might help to soothe past wounds. Warhammer Odyssey, a mobile MMO being developed by Virtual Realms, is growing ever-closer to release on iOS and Android. […]
Last Oasis adds a heavy-duty walker and a new event map, tests base decay mechanics in its beta build
There's been yet another weekly update to the woodpunk survival sandbox Last Oasis, this time bringing with it a new Hercul heavy walker and the new Ancient City event map that promises new lootsites, rupu camps, and merchants to find. The update has also made a variety of changes to the game's economy and applied […]
The Stream Team: Into the Tower of Necromancy in AdventureQuest 3D
The Tower of Necromancy's doors have finally opened in AQ3D, and Massively OP's MJ is ready to investigate. She'll be traveling to the Isle of the Dead to test if there tower's master really an unkillable lich — by trying try to kill it, of course! Join us live at 2:00 p.m. as Massively OP's […]
ArcheAge's Rise of Nehliya update is heading to the game's public test server
Are you curious about that blue lady that walked out of a mirror in that initial announcement for ArcheAge's latest update? Then feel free to find out, as the Rise of Nehliya update is coming to PTS once it opens over "the next couple of days." The PTS build offers up nine new main story […]
Rockstar confirms backwards compatibility for GTA Online and Red Dead Online on next-gen consoles
If you were among those deeply invested in either Grand Theft Auto Online or Red Dead Online but worried you'd have to put those games on the shelf when the PS5 or Xbox Series X and S arrived, consider your fears assuaged: Rockstar has confirmed that backwards compatibility for both GTA V and RDR 2 […]
Black Desert launches $29.99 'prestige' editions for console today
As promised, Pearl Abyss is today launching its Prestige edition for MMORPG Black Desert, making it one of the few modern MMORPGs to actually get a proper console box edition, this one coming in at $29.99 for the Xbox One and PS4 versions. And yes, next-gen play will be properly supported. "Starting November 6, Adventurers […]
Elder Scrolls Online moves Markarth DLC launch on console by a day, promise next-gen news 'soon'
Elder Scrolls Online's Markarth DLC and update 28, which launched for PC players earlier this week and put a mighty fine hat on the Dark Heart of Skyrim plotline, was supposed to roll out to PS4 and Xbox One next week. It still will – but it's been moved earlier by an extra day. "We're […]
Star Citizen shows off item interaction, more homestead progress, and refinery deck exteriors
Things interacting with other things. That's part of the focus for Star Citizen's latest video. That sounds pretty rudimentary, but is part of a "zoo" — an internal playtesting playground — that provides a look at a variety of new interactions that currently aren't in the game right now, such as power relays shutting down […]
WoW Factor: Ego, philosophy, and learning the right lessons in MMOs
Picture the scene, if you will. The year is 2006, and I am working in a library with a number of people whom I get along with and one girl who I have an overwhelming crush on. She is dating someone, of course, and I like her as a friend and thus don't let that creep […]
iOS players may be able to play Fortnite after all thanks to Nvidia's cloud gaming service
As the ongoing "titans into tweens" legal slap fight between Epic and Apple wears on, players of Fortnite on iOS have been left twisting in the wind. There may yet be hope on that horizon, however, as BBC has reported that Nvidia's GeForce NOW cloud gaming service could be coming to the Safari mobile web […]
Legends of Aria deep-dives The Outlands' Necromancer class
Legends of Aria has a fresh dev vlog out this week previewing its upcoming Outlands release, both its locations and its planned Necromancer class. "The Outlands is shaping up to be a truly unique landmass and we are ready to showcase two new points of interest: the Hangman's Tree and Necropolis," Citadel Studios says. The […]
PSA: ARK: Survival Evolved is free this weekend (and on sale)
World of Warcraft isn't the only online game that's hoping to lure in players with a free weekend; ARK: Survival Evolved also is running a promotion this week to allow any and all wanna-be survivalists to jump into the Steam version of the game. From now through the morning of November 10th, players can download […]
DC Universe Online battles across time in its latest episode, Long Live the Legion
"Protect the future. Save the past." That's a tall order for any superhero squad, but it's totally within the abilities of the 31st century Legion of Super-Heroes. In DC Universe Online's latest episode release, heroes are called to fight the sorcerer Mordru, who is jumping into his past — our present — to alter the […]
The Daily Grind: What MMO really shouldn't attempt a classic server?
Back in August, Standing Stone Games told players to stop trying to make a classic Lord of the Rings Online server happen. It is not going to happen. "You think it was perfect back then, but I remember our bug queues at the time and I can assure you it was not," SSG's Jeff Libby […]
The Stream Team: Doing good deeds for Neverwinter's Dwarves
The Dwarves of Icespire Peaks are having a few different problems in Neverwinter, and Massively OP's MJ is all set to keep lending a helping hand. From slaughtering nasties to chiseling ice off of vents, there's no shortage of ways to aid. Tune in live at 9:00 p.m. as MJ does her good deeds for […]
Massively Overthinking: Does early access kill an MMO's buzz?
A while back on the Massively OP Podcast, Justin and I were flipping through Steamcharts checking in on Torchlight III, and we were a little dismayed at what we saw: At least on Steam, the game's launch peak exceeded its early access launch peak by only a few hundred players. Naturally, we wondered aloud whether […]
Phoenix Labs CEO announces future update plans and next-gen console launch for Dauntless
A letter from Phoenix Labs CEO and co-founder Jesse Houston has got plenty to say regarding the future of Dauntless, including plans for the game's next major updates and its arrival to the next generation of consoles. In the letter, Houston confirms that the multiplayer monster slayer will be arriving on day one to PS5 […]
Buckle up: Phantasy Star Online 2 has the mother of all escort quests for you
Armor up, Phantasy Star Online 2 fans, because you've got orders to deploy to your latest mission. This week, SEGA dropped a new urgent quest that could take you up to an hour to complete — if you have the chops to beat it at all. The quest in question is Queen's Nightmare: Earth Depths, […]
EVE Online reports on the war in Delve and the Triglavian-occupied region of Pochven
EVE Online has released another episode of The Scope, the in-universe news show that reports on the goings-on in New Eden, and this episode certainly has some things to talk about. The report opens up with the war in the Delve region, with P.A.P.I's successful creation of a Keepstar within Imperium space. Prior to this […]
Fallout 76 demos the quests and rewards of the Steel Dawn update
Bethsoft is pumping up Fallout 76 players for the December launch of Steel Dawn today with a new dev gameplay video. "The Brotherhood of Steel is returning to Appalachia in our Steel Dawn Update that's on its way to Fallout 76 in December," the studio says. "Alongside the group's arrival, we're adding the first part of […]
Pantheon studio Visionary Realms seeks a technical artist for its dev team
As Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen gears up for a momentous year of development and testing, the project needs additional help to get the MMORPG looking its best. As such, Visionary Realms posted a job listing in search of a temporary technical artist to join the team. "Visionary Realms is looking for an experienced Technical […]
Inactive World of Warcraft players can return for free starting today through the weekend
I dunno how your circle of friends is handling the World of Warcraft patch and Shadowlands expansion plan, but over here at Massively OP, several writers are toying with playing, going back, or even trying out the game for the first time. Good news for all of them, then, as Blizzard announced today that it's […]
Star Citizen's October report notes progress on Orison, job-specific armors, and new weapons and ships
The beginning of November means a wrap-up of October's developments for Star Citizen, which once more offers a few peeks at some of the features that are on the game's long-reaching and distant horizon. The report points to progress by the environment team regarding refinery decks, ship-to-station docking arms, and gas clouds, along with a […]
SWTOR on how Feast of Prosperity revives old planets and makes the galaxy 'feel more lived-in'
With Star Wars The Old Republic's Feast of Prosperity update out in the wild, BioWare has put together a dev blog interview from World Designer Allison Berryman discussing the studio's thoughts behind the patch. "There were plenty of reasons to make a new seasonal event, but one of the main motivators for me was to […]
Warframe is launching on PlayStation 5 this year with cross-gen play and upgraded visuals
Big news for Digital Extremes' Warframe today: The company is pushing the game to next-gen consoles a release on PlayStation 5 "this year" and Xbox Series X "later." The company is promising improved graphics, lighting, and textures for the 2013 MMOFPS, along with cross-gen play, which allows players to "move seamlessly between platforms, playing with […]
Vague Patch Notes: Managing the MMO message, volume two: How to shut up
It wasn't so long ago that we talked about managing the message when it comes to fans and the like, but today I want to talk about a more advanced and yet still simple technique. Something so obvious that you would think it doesn't need to be mentioned, and yet you also see so many […]
NBA 2K21 dips its toes into MMO territory with its City gameplay mode
Alright, who here had "NBA 2K21 decides to go MMO" on their 2020 bingo cards? Anyone? Anyone? Yeah, me neither, but here we are with a full-on MMO-like gameplay mode for a basketball game. This new mode is called The City, and it's essentially an extension of the series' Neighborhoods mode blown up to larger […]
ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained announce Rise of Nehliya for November 12
If you caught Gamigo's teases earlier this week on Twitter, you might have wondered what ArcheAge was up to. Wonder no more: The company announced today another update for ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained. It's called Rise of Nehliya, and it launches on November 12th. "Daring adventurers can look forward to new quests in the previously […]
Dungeons and Dragons Online: Fables of the Feywild launches
It's like your Trapper Keeper covers have come to life, only in MMO form. Dungeons and Dragons Online's Fables of the Feywild expansion is launching today, bringing players into a more fantastic realm of mythical beasts and terrible legends. Today's Update 48 is bringing a huge chunk of content to the long-running MMO: "Fables of […]
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands explains legendary item crafting, shows off the Maw
Legendary items have been a contentious topic for World of Warcraft players ever since Legion made them easier to acquire. Blizzard's been struggling to figure out the best way to dole out these super-powerful pieces of gear ever since, and with Shadowlands, it appears that the approach will be to let players simply, you know, […]
Guild Wars 2 teases November 17 'Truce' living world content chapter with brand-new trailer
As promised, Guild Wars 2 has dropped the new trailer for its next chapter, The Icebrood Saga: Champions, Chapter 1: Truce. Is it possible to have too many colons in a title? Should we just call a truce and call this one just Truce? Let's do it. And yes, last week, ArenaNet postponed its Steam […]
The Destiny 2 community rallies behind dev whose house burned to the ground
If you thought it couldn't get any worse than a pandemic, election, and riots wrapped up in one moment, just imagine your house burning down in the middle of it all. That's apparently what happened to one unfortunate Bungie developer: Matt Findley, Design Director for Destiny's scenario team. And now the Destiny 2 community is […]
Kakao Games' Q3 2020 investor report suggests late 2021 western launch for Elyon Ascent Infinite Realm
Kakao is a hard company to cover, largely because the gaming segment we care about is only a tiny piece of the sprawling Korean company's portfolio, which ranges from music to ecommerce to an Uber clone and even a blockchain platform. But it's also got investments in everything from Tencent to Krafton, and that means […]
The Daily Grind: What's the worst mount in all of MMO land?
During the MOP Podcast at the top of September, Justin and I answered a fun question from Aldristravan about terrible MMO mounts. It turned out to be a hard one – do you pick based on functionality? Or based on aesthetics? Or what about absurdly priced mounts? Or impossible drop rates or mounts locked behind […]
The Repopulation talks up its new inventory system and plans to remove character model bones
The Repopulation closed out its October updates with talk of containers and bones, which seems thematically appropriate, except the containers in question are related to character inventory and the bones are linked to character models. So it's not all that spooky when you look at it. On the subject of the game's updated inventory system, […]
Mortal Online 2 adds a new city, armor and shield crafting, and archery in its latest update
There's been another patch applied to Mortal Online 2, and this one has some fresh new things for players to do, whether it's firing sharp, pointy sticks at people from a distance, crafting new equipment, or visiting a new location. That means archery, armor and shield crafting, and the city of Meduli and its surrounding […]
Aion EU adds a PvPvE battlefield, a new dungeon, and new gear in the Prison of Time update
Welcome to the Prison of Time, EU players of Aion. Or, more specifically, the Prison of Time update, which has introduced some new encounters, new gear, and new glyphs among other features. The tentpole content pieces of the new update are the PvPvE Tempus Fugit battlefield that sees players battle their way through the area […]
Siege Survival: Gloria Victis adds a trebuchet, balances the economy, and adds a scenario editor
Siege Survival: Gloria Victis, the standalone survival and resource management game set in the world of Gloria Victis, has had its free-to-play "prologue" version up and running since its August release, so there's been plenty of time for the devs at FishTankStudio to gather up player feedback and act on it, as reflected in a […]
Starbase opens Russian community channels, shares player guides, tunes weapons, and improves in-game jobs
Well, it's been some time since we've had a look inside the development progress of Starbase (considering progress is generally incremental), so it's high time that we all got caught up on what's been happening with that most granular of internet spaceship creation sandbox titles. First off, we'll look to the community newsletter, which offers […]
Ahead of Bless Unleashed's PC closed beta, Round 8 Studio says it 'learned a lot of lessons' from Bless Online
Round 8 Studio is just about ready to roll out the Bless Unleashed closed beta for PC: In fact, if you're reading this from North America, it's actually kicking off this very evening at 7 p.m. EST, running through the wee hours of the morning on November 9th. Ahead of the test, we spoke with […]
The Stream Team: Soaking up Samhain in Secret World Legends
The Secret World used to be synonymous with Halloween; nobody did the holiday better than TSW in its prime. Thankfully, Secret World Legends still has some of that same Samhain magic. Massively OP's MJ can't let the season go by without delving into the land of spooky atmosphere and Super Jack, so tune in live […]
Black Desert on PC kicks off mount and enhancement boost events and adjusts enhanced skills
The PC version of Black Desert is once more busy with events and adjustments in its latest update, which should be online by the time you're reading this. Of note in the patch notes are changes to a variety of enhanced skills for classes, almost all of which land on the buff side of the […]
Star Wars Squadrons' 2.0 update tackles controls, cheesing, and forfeit mechanics
It's patch day for EA's multiplayer dogfighter Star Wars Squadrons, and there's quite a bit of alteration going on for the way battles work in the game, along with a ton of bug fixes, joystick fixes, rank resets, better AI functionality, anti-farm code in fleet battles, and tweaks to nerf mosquitoing/cheesing. "This will reward the […]
Ashes of Creation offers a close look at the alpha one Cleric as it preps for an Extra Life charity stream
You want a healer? Ashes of Creation has got your healer right here. Or it will once alpha one kicks off, and it's that classic of the healing archetypes, the Cleric, which was given its own alpha one showcase. Nothing about the Cleric class breaks type here, wielding divine light to hurt foes and heal […]
Perfect Ten: 10 reasons MMOs struggle with underwater content
In Final Fantasy XIV, players could fly before they could swim. There's no joke there. The game's first expansion added the ability to fly through the expansion zones on a mount, but it was the second one that added the ability to swim anywhere. And there are still a lot of places where there are bodies of […]
Path of Exile is adding stash tab folders and sorting in what will hopefully be today's patch
Grinding Gear Games is apparently stepping back from explaining its new cadence and the delay of Path of Exile 3.13 and focusing on what's coming in the immediate future – as in today, if testing has gone to plan. That'd be the changes to the stash tab and affinities systems. The new stash tab folder […]
